Guidance

Accessibility for export health certificates online

Updated 26 July 2023

This service is part of the wider GOV.UK website. There’s a separate accessibility statement for the main GOV.UK website.

This page only contains information about the export health certificate online service, available at exporter.apply-export-health-certificate.service.gov.uk and certifier.apply-export-health-certificate.service.gov.uk.

1. Using this service

This service is run by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA). We want as many people as possible to be able to use this service. For example, that means you should be able to:

• change colours, contrast levels and fonts

• zoom in up to 300% without the text spilling off the screen

• get from the start of the service to the end using just a keyboard

• get from the start of the service to the end using speech recognition software

• listen to the service using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

We’ve also made the text in the service as simple as possible to understand.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

2. How accessible this service is

Some people may find parts of this service difficult to use:

• the text will not reflow in a single column when you change the size of the browser window

• you cannot modify the line height or spacing of text

• most older PDF documents are not fully accessible to screen reader software

• some of our online forms are difficult to navigate using just a keyboard

• you cannot skip to the main content when using a screen reader

3. What to do if you have difficulty using this service

If you have difficulty using this service, contact APHA in England, Scotland or Wales, or DAERA in Northern Ireland.

3.1 Exporters in England, Scotland or Wales

One-to-one help is offered only by arrangement. Exporters will need to visit the main APHA office in Carlisle, or another office by arrangement.

APHA provide a text relay service for people who are D/deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment. The offices have audio induction loops. APHA can also arrange a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter.

If you need any information available in this service in a different format, like accessible PDF, large print, easy read, audio recording or braille, contact:

• call: 03000 200 301
• email: exports@apha.gov.uk
• write to:

Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)
Centre for International Trade
Eden Bridge House
Lowther Street
Carlisle
CA3 8DX

3.2 Exporters in Northern Ireland

One-to-one help can be arranged with the DAERA. There is no central office but DAERA has a number of regional offices.

Any of these offices can be contacted on: 0300 200 7840

Find your nearest DAERA direct regional office:

• Armagh, email: daeradirect.armagh@daera-ni.gov.uk

• Ballymena, email: daeradirect.ballymena@daera-ni.gov.uk

• Coleraine, email: daeradirect.coleraine@daera-ni.gov.uk

• Downpatrick, email: daeradirect.downpatrick@daera-ni.gov.uk

• Dungannon, email: daeradirect.dungannon@daera-ni.gov.uk

• Enniskillen, email: daeradirect.enniskillen@daera-ni.gov.uk

• Strabane, email: daeradirect.strabane@daera-ni.gov.uk

• Magherafelt, email: daeradirect.magherafelt@daera-ni.gov.uk

• Mallusk, email: daeradirect.mallusk@daera-ni.gov.uk

• Newry, email: daeradirect.newry@daera-ni.gov.uk

• Newtownards, email: daeradirect.newtownards@daera-ni.gov.uk

• Omagh, email: daeradirect.omagh@daera-ni.gov.uk

4. Reporting accessibility problems with this website

We’re always looking to improve the accessibility of this website. If you find any problems not listed on this page or think we’re not meeting accessibility requirements, contact:

• call: 03000 200 301
• email: exports@apha.gov.uk
• write to:

Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA)
Centre for International Trade
Eden Bridge House
Lowther Street
Carlisle
CA3 8DX

5. Enforcement procedure

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the ‘accessibility regulations’). If you’re not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS).

6. Contacting us by phone or visiting us in person

We provide a text relay service for people who are D/deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment.

Our offices have audio induction loops, or if you contact us before your visit we can arrange a BSL interpreter.

Contact APHA.

7. Technical information about this website’s accessibility

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and APHA are committed to making their websites accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

This service is not compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard. The non-accessible parts are listed below.

8. Non-accessible content

This section explains why certain content is non-accessible.

8.1 Issues affecting forms

One form control has no LABEL and no programmatically determined name. This fails WCAG 2.1 A F68 Section 508 (2017) A F68.

Some form field labels are not unique on a page, or enclosed in a FIELDSET with a LEGEND to make it unique. This fails WCAG 2.1 AA 2.4.6 Section 508 (2017) AA 2.4.6.

Some radio buttons with Yes or No answers have not been enclosed in a FIELDSET with a LEGEND explaining the label, which fails WCAG 2.1 AA 2.4.6 Section 508 (2017) AA 2.4.6

Some controls for dropdown menus and uploading documents are missing LABEL elements which fails WCAG 2.1 A 4.1.2 Section 508 (2017) A 4.1.2.

8.2 Issues affecting tables

Some tables are missing a caption element, which fails WCAG 2.1 Level A 1.3.1 H39.

Not all the elements in this table have a scope attribute, which fails WCAG 2.1 Level A 1.3.1 H63.

One table is wrapped in an unnecessary form which does not contain a submit button, creating issues for those who cannot submit the form using the keyboard. This fails WCAG 2.1 Level A 3.2.2 H32.

8.3 Issues affecting screen readers

One page has duplicate IDs which cause problems in screen readers. This fails WCAG 2.1 A F77 Section 508 (2017) A F77.

Some pages have the same title, so the title cannot be used to distinguish pages. This fails WCAG 2.1 A F25 Section 508 (2017) A F25.

Some pages have markup errors, causing screen readers to miss content. This fails WCAG 2.1 A F70 Section 508 (2017) A F70.

On one page a FIELDSET element has been used to give a border to text. This fails WCAG 2.1 A F43 Section 508 (2017) A F43.

Some FIELDSET elements have not been labeled with LEGEND elements. This fails WCAG 2.1 A H71 Section 508 (2017) A H71.

One page has a broken skip link. The target anchor does not exist or is commented out. This fails WCAG 2.1 A 2.4.1 Section 508 (2017) A 2.4.1.

8.4 Issues affecting PDF and Word documents

Some PDF and Word documents do not have the Title filled in in the Document Properties. This fails WCAG 2.1 A F25 Section 508 (2017) A F25.

Some PDF documents have figures and images with blank ALT text. This fails WCAG 2.1 A F65 Section 508 (2017) A F65

Some PDFs have not been tagged to be accessible by screen readers. This fails WCAG 2.1 A 1.3.1 Section 508 (2017) A 1.3.1.

The LANG attribute has not been used to identify the language of some pages. This fails WCAG 2.1 A 3.1.1 Section 508 (2017) A 3.1.1.

9. Content that’s not within the scope of the accessibility regulations

This section sets out accessibility problems that fall outside the scope of the accessibility regulations.

9.1 PDFs and other documents

We have attempted to make sure all our PDFs are new and meet accessibility standards. Older PDFs and Word documents may exist on this service and these may not meet accessibility standards - for example, they may not be structured so they’re accessible to a screen reader. This does not meet WCAG 2.1 success criterion 4.1.2 (name, role value).

All of our PDFs and Word documents are essential to providing our services. Our aim is to never use PDF or Word documents where HTML can be used.

The accessibility regulations do not require us to fix PDFs or other documents published before 23 September 2018, if they’re not essential to providing our services.

10. How we tested this website

This website was last tested on 4 March 2020. The test was carried out by Connect Internet Solutions Ltd.

We tested our main website platform, available at exporter.apply-export-health-certificate.service.gov.uk and certifier.apply-export-health-certificate.service.gov.uk - based on a different technical platform but ‘skinned’ to look like our website

11. What we’re doing to improve accessibility

We are fixing the problems that are stopping us from being compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1A standard. We hope to have this done by 30 June.

We will then move on to fixing the problems that are stopping us being compliant with the the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1 AA standard.

This statement was prepared on 30 April 2020.